Events

Denver Not Among Finalists For 2016 RNC

DENVER (CBS4)– Denver has not been chosen to be among the finalists for the 2016 RNC. Cleveland and Dallas remain the two cities in contention for the GOP convention.

Denver was among the top four cities vying to host the Republicans in two years. The final two cities were announced just after noon.

Denver was thought to have an advantage over other cities with its hosting of the 2008 Democrat National Convention where President Barack Obama was nominated as the party’s choice to run.

The committee’s decision was based on a thorough review of bids, presentations, and visits to each of the cities.

RNC’s Site Selection Committee, Chairwoman Enid Mickelsen issued the following statement: “After extensive review the site selection committee has chosen Cleveland and Dallas as finalists for the 2016 convention. Cleveland and Dallas demonstrated their ability to host a phenomenal convention in 2016, and the RNC is excited about the prospect of hosting our convention in either of these great cities. After visiting both cities, I can say to my fellow Republicans that we should be excited for the 2016 convention. These world class cities know how to roll out the welcome mat, and more importantly they have the ability to provide our next presidential nominee a launching pad that will put a Republican in the White House in 2016.

“The committee extends our sincere thanks and gratitude to Denver and Kansas City for their hard work and dedication to this effort. Both teams should be proud of their work. They were great ambassadors for their cities, and we felt fortunate to visit and get to know them. This was a tough decision for our committee because all four of these cities made excellent bids.

“As we move closer to choosing a host for our convention, I’m more confident than ever that we’ll have an outstanding partner to showcase our Party and our Republican nominee in 2016.”

“While we’re thrilled to have made it this far, we are disappointed with today’s decision. Denver has the amenities, the community, the political climate and a proven track record that would have made it the perfect place to host the 2016 Republican National Convention.

“We also had a wonderful and diverse coalition of business, government and civic leaders who worked tirelessly to highlight what makes Denver great, and Colorado the best state in the Union. We especially want to take a moment to thank Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, Gov. John Hickenlooper and our entire host committee for going above and beyond to help our bid.

“Our congratulations go to Cleveland and Dallas as they enter the final round of negotiations.”

A delegation comprised of the RNC’s Site Selection Committee, RNC staff and advisors, and RNC senior leadership traveled between Monday June 2 and Friday June 13, visiting Cleveland, Kansas City, Denver, and Dallas.

The RNC looked at venues, hospitality, security and transportation options and conducted meetings with each city to discuss aspects of their bids.